Former Australian of the year and Clean Up Australia campaigner Ian Kiernan has called on people in the Northern Territory to boycott major beverage companies over the ailing cash-for-containers scheme.

The cash for containers recycling scheme is in danger of falling apart across the Territory.

Key independent depots in the Territory have closed their doors, just months after the scheme began.

Operators say it is because the beverage industry-owned coordinators they sell the containers on to will not give them the same price that collectors get in South Australia.

The Territory Opposition has called for the scheme to be put on hold but long time but Mr Kiernan says that would be giving in to the beverage industry.

"They want to resist it and do everything they can to overturn it," he said.

"There is no doubt about that."

He says people who support the scheme should not buy the products of companies involved until the issue is resolved.

The main companies involved with operators coordinating the scheme are Lion Nathan and Coca Cola Amatil.

Mediation has failed to resolve the dispute but Mr Kiernan says the scheme must not be allowed to fail.

"It is a shame that mediation did not work," he said.

"But it is up to the Government to manage it from here.

"The beverage industry are the bad element in this as far as I am concerned.

"They have got to be made to toe the line."

Under the Territory cash-for-containers scheme, collectors pay 10 cents a container to people who return them.

The intention was that they would then pass the containers on to the coordinators who would pay them 10 cents a container plus a "reasonable" handling fee.

Two days of mediation talks overseen by former Territory administrator Tom Pauling have failed to resolve what that fee should be.

The Territory recently introduced the container deposit scheme, similar to one that has operated in South Australia for many years.

Darwin can collection depots have already pulled out of the scheme and now collection depots in Katherine and Alice Springs are considering doing the same.

Depot operators say the recycling companies, two of which are owned by beverage producers Coca Cola Amatil and Lion Nathan, are not paying them enough to cover their costs.

Katherine depot manager Michael Knight says he is not making a profit and is considering closing down.

"It is simply become too much work for too little pay, as simple as that," he said.

The Territory Government says it is "very confident" its cash for containers scheme will work.

Environment Minister Karl Hampton says the problems can be solved.

"We have collected over three million containers," he said.

"That has kept the environment very clean.

"It is a good scheme, the legislation is right, the framework is right.

"We need to get the relationships right and get those depots open again."

Chief Minister Paul Henderson says some depots are doing well but others are bound to fail.